Sedum plant named ‘Xenox’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sedum  plant named ‘Xenox’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely basal branching growth habit; relatively short peduncles; and orange white to greyed yellow-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Sedum telephium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Xenox’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedumplant, botanically known as Sedum telephium, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Xenox’.

The new Sedum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new compact Sedum cultivars with uniformgrowth habit and attractive flower coloration.

The new Sedum originated from a chance cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2001 of two unknown seedling selections of Sedum telephium.The new Sedum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated chancecross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Rijpwetering, TheNetherlands in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inRijpwetering, The Netherlands, since 2003, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Sedum are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Xenox have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Xenox’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Xenox’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.    -   2. Freely basal branching growth habit.    -   3. Relatively short peduncles.    -   4. Orange white to greyed yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Sedum can also be compared to plants of the Sedumtelephinum cultivar Novem, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 11/141,555. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inRijpwetering, The Netherlands, plants of the new Sedum differed fromplants of the cultivar Novem in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sedum were more compact than plants of the        cultivar Novem.    -   2. Plants of the new Sedum and the cultivar Novem differed in        flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Novem had        purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Sedum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Xenox’ grown in a container.

The photograph in the center of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘Xenox’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of theupper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Xenox’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the late summer in an outdoor nursery in Rijpwetering, TheNetherlands for about one year. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 14 to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from7 to 18° C.

-   Botanical classification: Sedum telephium cultivar Xenox.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unknown seedling selection of Sedum            telephium, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Unknown seedling selection of Sedum telephium,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three months at            18° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form/growth habit.—Upright and compact plant form; inverted            triangle. Freely basal branching, about five basal branches            per plant; moderately vigorous growth habit. Numerous single            flowers arranged in terminal and axillary cymes.        -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 29 cm.        -   Branch description.—Length: About 10.2 cm. Diameter: About            6 mm. Internode length: About 5 cm. Strength: Moderately            strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;            succulent. Color: 177A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 7.7 cm. Width: About 5.9 cm. Shape: Broadly            ovate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Cordate; clasping. Margin:            Irregularly serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; succulent. Venation pattern: Pinnate;            arcuate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 200A;            towards the base, 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface:            148A to 148B tinted with N186C. Fully expanded foliage,            upper surface: 147A; towards the apex and margins, tinted            with N186C; towards the base, 187B; venation, 187B. Fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: 148B; towards the apex,            tinted with 187A to 187B; venation, 148B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single star-shaped            flowers arranged in terminal and axillary compound cymes;            cymes roughly hemispherical. Flowers face mostly upright.            Freely flowering, about 110 flowers and flower buds per            lateral branch.        -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from August            through September in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual last about two            weeks on the plant. Flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.5 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 158B; towards the apex, 165B; towards            the base, 148A.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.6 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.5 cm.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 8 mm. Depth (height): About 4 mm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused at base. Length: About            3.5 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper            surface: 159D to 160D. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: 184A; central band, 146B.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused at the base;            campanulate. Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.7 mm.            Sepal shape: Narrowly ovate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal            color, upper and lower surfaces: 148A to 148B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Aspect: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Color: 177A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Aspect: Erect to about 45° from the stem axis. Color: 177A            to 177B; heavily spotted, 148A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per            flower/arrangement: About ten; five stamens at base of            petals; other five, free. Anther shape: Broadly oblong;            flattened. Anther length: About 0.4 mm. Anther color: 8B to            8C tinted with 25B. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament            color: N155B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 6C.            Pistils: Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower; prominent;            fused at the base; star-shaped. Pistil length: About 3 mm.            Stigma shape: Rounded; minute. Stigma color: 181B. Style            length: About 2.5 mm. Style color: 165D. Ovary color: 165D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Sedum have not been noted    to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Sedum.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Sedum have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from −10 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Sedum plant named ‘Xenox’, asillustrated and described.